In a recent announcement, the Egyptian Football Association confirmed that coach Rui Vitoria has been relieved of his duties following an underwhelming performance by the national team in the Africa Cup of Nations. Vitoria, a 53-year-old Portuguese coach, was at the helm during Egypt's disappointing round-of-16 exit after a penalty shootout loss to Congo DR.
The Egyptian Football Association expressed gratitude to Rui Vitoria and his backroom staff in a statement, acknowledging their efforts. The decision to part ways with the coach came after a meeting where the administrative and technical reports of the national team's participation in the tournament were discussed.
As an interim measure, Mohamed Youssef, a former player for Egypt and a coach for domestic giants Al Ahly, will take charge until a permanent replacement is found. The association revealed that it is currently reviewing the profiles of foreign coaches, who will be presented at the next meeting. A foreign technical director will be selected, along with the rest of the staff.
Egypt, a seven-time African champion, had high hopes for the tournament but fell short of expectations. Although they reached the final in the previous Africa Cup of Nations in 2022, this time around, they failed to secure a victory in any of their four matches. The team managed to secure three points in the group stage, but disappointing draws with Mozambique and Cape Verde hampered their progress. Adding to their woes, star forward Mohamed Salah sustained an injury and was unable to play a significant role in their campaign.
Salah's injury occurred during the 2-2 draw with Ghana on January 18th. Uncertain about his return, Salah had to fly back to Liverpool for treatment. Egypt's hopes of progressing in the tournament without their talismanic player were dashed when they faced Congo DR in San Pédro last Sunday, resulting in Vitoria's departure. Vitoria, who previously managed clubs like Benfica, Spartak Moscow, and Pacos Ferreira, had an overall successful tenure with only one defeat during his near-21 months as coach. Interestingly, Vitoria was under contract with the Egyptian Federation until 2026.
It seems Egypt is not alone in making changes after their tournament elimination, as other African teams like Algeria, Tunisia, Ghana, and Gambia have also decided to part ways with their head coaches. Meanwhile, the host nation Ivory Coast appointed Emerse Fae on an interim basis following their group-stage exit and the departure of Jean-Louis Gasset.
As Egypt reflects on their Africa Cup of Nations campaign, they now face the task of finding a new coach who can inspire the team to reclaim their dominance in African football. The search for a foreign technical director and the formation of the new coaching staff will be critical as Egypt looks ahead to future tournaments and aims to rediscover their winning ways.
